Swarm: Star Force, Book 1

Kyle Riggs is snatched by an alien spacecraft sometime after midnight. The ship is testing everyone it catches and murdering the weak. The good news is that Kyle keeps passing tests and staying alive. The bad news is the aliens who sent this ship are the nicest ones out there.

Steel World: Undying Mercenaries, Book 1

In the 20th century Earth sent probes, transmissions, and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy. As most of the local worlds were too civilized to have a proper army, the only valuable service Earth could provide came in the form of soldiers....

Star Carrier: Lost Colonies, Book 3

Earth builds her first war fleet! The greatest warships ever constructed in known space rise up one by one, soon dominating our skies. They strike fear into the hearts of every citizen and rebel colonist alike. Captain William Sparhawk, the very man who convinced the secretive Council to build this terrifying fleet, now has doubts about the project. What is their exact mission? How could anyone have built these huge ships so quickly? And, most puzzling of all, what's happening out at the isolated laboratory complex on Phobos, Mars' lopsided moon?

Battle Cruiser: Lost Colonies, Book 1

One starship will either save Earth or destroy her. A century ago our star erupted, destroying Earth's wormhole network and closing off trade with her colonized planets. After being out of contact with the younger worlds for so many years, humanity is shocked when a huge ship appears at the edge of the solar system. Our outdated navy investigates, both curious and fearful. What they learn from the massive vessel shocks the planet.

Mech Zero: The Dominant

Death awaits the curious! Out along the rim of the galaxy hangs a loose configuration of some 60 stars known as the Faustian Chain. This whorl of sparkling suns is rich in planets and occupies an irregular volume of space some 20 light years in diameter. From an external viewpoint, the Chain presents a colorful display of plasma-streams, luminous nebulae and sparkling pinpoints of light.

Counterstrike: Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 3

Captain Jackson Wolfe never thought he'd see the end of the Phage War in his lifetime. The enemy was too powerful, too numerous, and utterly determined to exterminate humanity. But the appearance of a new ally in the fight has changed all of that. For the first time since the original incursion, Wolfe thinks that maybe there's a chance to stop their implacable enemy before they have the chance to wipe out any more human planets.

The Battle of the Void: The Ember War, Book 6

The Xaros drove humanity to the edge of extinction. Now, an immense alien fleet is on the way to Earth to end the human race. Earth's defenses are in shambles. The planet needs time to ready for the next invasion, time it doesn't have. The Xaros are en route to Earth, and it will take a daring mission to buy Earth the chance it needs to survive the next attack. While a fleet of brave men and women prepare to face down the Xaros, the Breitenfeld travels to an ancient world where the key to ultimate victory lies buried beneath the crimes of the enigmatic Malal.

Warship: Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 1

In the 25th century, humans have conquered space. The advent of faster-than-light travel has opened up hundreds of habitable planets for colonization, and humans have exploited the virtually limitless space and resources for hundreds of years with impunity. So complacent have they become with the overabundance that armed conflict is a thing of the past, and their machines of war are obsolete and decrepit. What would happen if they were suddenly threatened by a terrifying new enemy?

The Lost Colony: Lost Starship Series, Volume 4

We fought the invading New Men to a standstill and defeated the alien destroyer sent to obliterate Earth. The worst should be over, but it's not. Perfect android replicas are impersonating high-level officials so trust is failing. Worse, the New Men have found allies with an impenetrable stealth technology. This time, however, Earth is going on the offensive. Admiral Fletcher is headed to C Quadrant with a Grand Fleet. He's to liberate the captured planets and find the enemy homeworld.

The Human Factor

Captain Jason Burke is a man apart, and not just because he's the only of his kind for thousands of light-years in any direction. The changes to his body and to his genetic code have made him faster, stronger, more able to survive in his dangerous occupation...but they've also ensured that he'll never truly fit in with others of his species. He always assumed he would live and die with his crew and never lay eyes on another human again. He was wrong.

The Siege of Earth: The Ember War, Book 7

Only an ember of humanity survived the first Xaros invasion. Now the Xaros return to deliver the final blow to Earth and her defenders. A moon carrying an armada of Xaros drones unleashes its deadly cargo on the solar system. Fortress Mars stands between the enemy and an ill-defended Earth. While the battle rages over the red planet, the Breitenfeld must launch a desperate mission to Pluto to cut off enemy reinforcements. Earth stands on the brink of ruin, and humanity needs every hero it can find to turn back the tide of destruction.

Earth Defiant: The Ember War, Book 4

Betrayed by allies. Beset by new foes. Earth faces its darkest hour since the Xaros invasion. The Toth come to the solar system with a fleet of warships, and they demand the only tool that can rekindle the human race. It falls on Marine Lieutenant Hale to negotiate a pact that will save the human race at the cost of its soul - or start a war with a race of alien predators.

The Ember War: Publisher's Pack, Books 1-2

The Ember War, book 1: The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance. In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission: to determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada. The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival.

Blood of Heroes: The Ember War, Book 3

The Xaros, a galaxy-wide scourge of murderous drones, have their sights set on the planet Takeni. Captain Isaac Valdar volunteers his ship to defend the innocent civilians and evacuate everyone he can. Pressed by an alien fleet in space and a horrifying foe on the surface, the Breitenfeld must risk everything to save the doomed populace.

The Lost Starship

Ten thousand years ago, a single alien super-ship survived a desperate battle. The vessel's dying crew set the AI on automatic to defend the smashed rubble of their planet. Legend has it the faithful ship continues to patrol the empty battlefield, obeying its last order throughout the lonely centuries.In the here and now, Earth needs a miracle. Out of the Beyond invade the New Men, stronger, faster and smarter than the old. Their superior warships and advanced technology destroy every fleet sent to stop them.

The Gardens of Nibiru: The Ember War, Book 5

The supreme Toth overlord, Mentiq, rules his species with an iron fist from his fortress on the planet Nibiru. The first overlord surrounds himself with decadent treasures and the galaxy's deadliest warriors to protect his dominion from treachery and attack. Armed with stolen Toth technology, the Breitenfeld travels to the world with a single mission: assassinate Mentiq and end the Toth threat to Earth. Armed with stolen Toth technology, the Breitenfeld travels to the world with a single mission: assassinate Mentiq and end the Toth threat to Earth.

Omega Rising: Omega Force, Book 1

Jason Burke was a man hiding from himself in a small cabin high in the American Rocky Mountains when his simple, quiet life was shattered one night by what he first assumed was an aviation mishap. But when he investigates the crash, what he finds will yank him out of his self-imposed exile and thrust him into a world he could have never imagined.

Sol: The Silver Ships Series, Book 5

Sol's warships paid the ultimate price for threatening the Haraken and New Terran worlds. Now, Haraken president Alex Racine and his Méridien partner, Renée de Guirnon, are engaged in a desperate gamble to stop a war between their worlds and United Earth's (UE) massive forces before it starts. What's Alex's grand plan? He hasn't a clue, but his people believe in him and hope he will find a way to protect them.

Publisher's Summary

Kyle Riggs has been away from Earth for a long time.... What’s happening back home? In Empire, the sixth book of the Star Force Series, the story moves in a new direction.

Earth falls quiet, and the few reports coming out of the homeworld are increasingly strange. Isolated in the Eden system, Riggs realizes his enemies are forming an alliance against him. Crushed between two monstrous fleets, the last defenders of Star Force must forge their own alliance with the biotic aliens. But which alien race can Riggs truly trust?

1*=I didn't like it.....
2*=It was OK......
3*=It was good but I will never read it again..........
4*=Maybe I will read it again in the future..............
5*=I will definitely read it again(maybe more than once)

The fortress is completely built, it's time to build ships, but The Earth stopped communicating with RiggsHe has terrible personnel problems, he has only 300 menAnd all his neighbors, damn Crustaceans, Blues and Crow are plotting against him, The question is who friend and who is foe?

Would you consider the audio edition of Empire to be better than the print version?

I like the audio version because I am on the move a lot at work and at home so it's easier for me to listen and it's particularly nice when you have a great performer with a good vioce. That's the case with this series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kyle Riggs. He is the everyman. He is not a super scientist or a super spy or a super warrior. He is just an ordinary guy thrown into a meat grinder of a situation and he roe to it.

Which scene was your favorite?

I really liked the space station. The thought of actually being out there.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

In this series there were many emmorable moments. In this edition, I would have to say when he sent the trator general packing and destroyed his satalites.

Any additional comments?

I hope there are many more books to come for this series, aditionally I hope the Larson comes out with more scifi like this.

B V Larson's Star Force series has become the standard by which I judge all military sci-fi.

This is book 6 in the series and if you're not on board yet, YOU ARE REALLY MISSING OUT! I just finished and I'm sort of in an overwhelmed shocked state of being. SOOO much happened. There wasn't a dull moment. The writing is the best it's ever been and it just keeps getting better and better.

This one was epic as Kyle faces off against enemies both biotic and machine! It's supposed to be the biotics/us and all the other life forms they've discovered against these psycho macro ships right? Well, I can't and won't even tell you what Crowe has managed to do to Earth back home and all sorts other treachery and near fatal things that threatened Rigg's Pigs.

I laughed (mostly at Marvin's antics, and the Centaurs), I pumped my fists, I thought about human nature. I can't wait for more!

Kyle Riggs, with the help of his trusted military officers, and Marvin, a sentient artificial life form, must battle impossible odds as Star Force faces enemies on all fronts.

At the same time that Star Force is fighting for its very life, Kyle Riggs attempts to delve into the relationships between the Blues, the Macros, and the Nanos. Unraveling that mystery could be the key to survival. However, things are looking bad back on Earth, where Crow has used his military might as leverage to gain enormous power.

These are fast, rollicking page-turners that keep you in suspense the whole way through. BV Larson's imagination does not fail him as we see new approaches to many brand new challenges.

The characters are immensely likeable and you root for each one along the way, even Marvin, who seems to always be a step ahead of Kyle Riggs, much to Star Force's benefit, and Kyle Rigg's chagrin. Once again Mark Boyett increases the enjoyment of these audiobooks with his talented portrayal of characters of all nations (and species).

This is the most recent in a series of six books. The whole series is packed with action and adventure. Our main hero takes on villains from all sides. Throw in a few characters you're not sure how to classify and you have a real roller coaster ride through space. Start with Swarm, the first book, and you'll be hooked.

Marvin - You just really never know what he is up to or what he is going to do.

What does Mark Boyett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mark Boyett does a fine job narrating, his voice is smooth and does not distract the listener.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is a book/series that is very hard to put down, I finished it in two sittings.

Any additional comments?

This is book 6 and is not one you can read without reading the previous novels starting with book 1 Swarm. Science Fiction is not normally something I would get heavily involved in but this series has captivated since book one, hopefully book 7 Annihilation is released on Audible soon. If you are here reading these reviews then that means you are somewhat intrigued so do yourself a favor and start reading the series you won't be disappointed.

Star Force: Empire is the sixth in the Star Force series and doesn't disappoint. I have been amazed as a newcomer to BV Larson's work at just how consistent a writer he is. It is fair to say that some of the books in this series are a little better than others but on the whole the standard is incredibly high throughout the saga so far. if you've come across this review and are wanting to get into a big series of stories that will keep you occupied and entertained for some time, then you cannot go wrong with this.

In this instalment we find that things back on Earth have not been going well and Riggs learns that the former Admiral Crow has now become the self appointed Emperor Crow, leader of Earth and has taken out Earth's other leaders in an horrific grab for power that now sees him as a ruthless dictator.

The new Imperial Earth fleet is sent by Crow to take out Riggs if he doesn't return with them to Earth. This situation is unacceptable to Riggs and he must make some tough decisions to survive.

As ever though, trust is something that is a rare commodity and the Crustaceans who appear allied with the Macros attack the station Riggs has set up in the Eden system. Brutal hand-to-hand combat ensues which is a feature of these stories we haven't seen too much of late and makes a welcome return to Larson's narrative in this book. As ever, the fighting is hard and no quarter is given or expected with the fast learning Crustaceans.

Riggs has been squeezed between the approaching Macro and Earth fleets and has to find a way to get out of the desperate situation he finds himself in. Earth wants rid of Riggs and will go to various lengths to achieve this so the pressure is relentless on our hero as he has to watch his back at every turn.

Plenty going on in this sixth book and by now if you've read the previous books then a review will be more or less irrelevant but I am doing this for completeness and for those that may not have read other books in this series.

A word on the narration; As always, the narration by Mark Boyett is excellent. On the production side, I noticed that the initial part of this book seemed to have a very slight echo which became more noticeable when post production corrective inserts could be detected due to their lack of such audio artefacts. I think things improved as the book went on but it was certainly noticeable at first.

Oh, and for those that spotted it, there is made mention of "Jeffries tubes" which is a nod to Star Trek where the term was first coined.

So, in summary, another excellent read from Larson so on with the next book!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

M. J. Cocks

m'boro, UK

12/1/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"the fight continues"

Where does Empire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I rank this book very high as it is a great continuation of this epic saga called star force.

What other book might you compare Empire to, and why?

In some ways I would say that this book is like a simple version of some of I.M Banks works.I like books like the Dune series or John ringo's books. Actually now that I think about it Ringo and Larson have some shared ideas... e.g Troy rising.

Which character – as performed by Mark Boyett – was your favourite?

I can't single out a character portrayal by Mark Boyett's performance as he does such an amazing job.oh ok It has to be Riggs

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were time I found myself getting angry at the attitude of some of the people and their ways of acting. I like it when I find a book that stirs me up.

Any additional comments?

Read these books from the first star force book. If you like that you'll love them all.... In my opinion :-)

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

A User

4/13/13

Overall

"Empire, another Briliant Star Force book."

Yet again B. V. Larson has excelled himself with Empire the latest book in the Star Force series.

This book has all the usual traits of suprise twists and turns with Larsons ability to explain the technology used to set the scenes,

Mark Boyett provides an excptional oral painting of the scenes in the story, keeping my attention wrapped up in the story from beginning to the end.

I cannot wait for the next book in the Star Force series.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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